Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos

The Pectoral Sandpiper is a small bird that loves to wade in shallow waters. It has a special pectoral muscle that helps it run fast and catch food like insects and tiny fish.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Pectoral Sandpiper has a streaky brown back and a striking white belly with a sharply defined brown breast band. Its yellowish legs and a slightly downcurved bill help it forage in wet areas. This distinct breast band makes it look like it's wearing a 'vest'.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderCharadriiformesFamilyScolopacidaeGenusCalidris

Pectoral Sandpiper

Interesting facts

Pectoral Sandpipers lay eggs with pointy ends, so they fit snugly in the nest!

Some Pectoral Sandpipers travel from the Arctic all the way to Antarctica's doorstep!

The mother Pectoral Sandpiper raises her chicks all by herself in the frosty Arctic!

These birds fly past the equator TWICE every year on their amazing journey!

Special abilities

Pectoral Sandpiper has mottled brown feathers that help it blend perfectly into muddy tundra and shorelines, hiding from predators.

Pectoral Sandpiper males can inflate a special chest sac to make booming calls during dazzling aerial courtship displays.

Measurements & details

Length: 18-25 cm
Wingspan: 38-48 cm
Weight: 0.04-0.12 kg
Lifespan: 6-8 years
Top Speed: 70 km/h
Clutch Size: 3-4
Incubation: 21-23 days
Migration Distance: 26000 km

Diet & Feeding

These little birds love to slurp up small insects and tiny critters from soggy ground.

Primary Foods

Insect larvae
Beetles
Flies
Spiders
Small crustaceans

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Arctic Fox

Vulpes lagopus

Eggs and chicks are prey for this cunning tundra predator.

eaten by

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Swift falcons hunt adult sandpipers during migration and breeding.

eats

Midge

Chironomus tentans

Eats larvae and adults of midges and other small insects.

depends on

Water Sedge

Carex aquatilis

Relies on sedges for nesting cover in wet tundra habitats.

Traits

Feathered

Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.